AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1944, Page 6

AUSTRALIA

' GENEROUS GIFT.

MELBOURNE, November 7. Mr. Russell Grimwade, a member pi the Melbourne University Council, and a principal in the largest firm of manufacturing chemists in the Southern Hemisphere, has givpn £50,00U for the foundation of a school of biochemistry at the Melbourne University. The school will be devoted to teaching and research. Advantage will be taken of the gift as soon as the authorities can begin building. GRAVING DOCK SYDNEY, November 7?" Sydney’s new naval graving dock, the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere, is nearing completion. It has been flooded, and tests have been made for fitting the lock gates. When full, the dock holds about 42,000,000 gallons. It is large enough to accommodate the biggest battleship afloat or two smaller vessels. A good deal of superficial work remains before the dock can- be commissioned. Preliminary work was begun soon after the outbreak of'war, late in 1939. The first estimates were that it would cost about £2,000,000. latest estimates place the cost at nearly £7,000,000. WELLINGTON CONFERENCE MELBOURNE, November 7. “I hope that if some document has emerged from the conference of the Australian and New Zealand Ministers in Wellington, Parliament on this occasion will be given the opportunity to debate it,” said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Menzies) to-night. The opportunity was completely denied to us in the case of the first Australia-New Zealand agreement of unhappy memories. Statements coming • from the New Zealand conference just concluded, are too vague and general to admit of any useful comment at present.” SYDNEY BRIDGE (Rec. 11.45 a.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 8. The accumulated loss on the Sydney harbour bridge to Jung 30 this year is £400,427. The drift in earnings began in' 1939-40, when there was a deficiency of £35,893. Each subsequent year has shown a loss. Although the number of passengers crossing the bridge last year increased by nearly 8,000.000 over the figure for the year 1939-40, revenue from tolls in the same period decreased by about £ 150,000. This was due to the wartime decrease in motor traffic across the bridge. DROUGHT RELIEF. (Rec. 12.5 p.m.) "CANBERRA, Nov. 8. Australian farmers whose wheat crops have been ruined by drought will be paid on the basis of 12/6 for each acre planted. This basis has been approved’for the distribution of the £3,000,000 drought relief allotted by the Premiers’ conference six weeks ago. The total drought relief costs will be shared equally by the Commonwealth and the Governments of the three States affected. New South Wales. Victoria, and South Australia. New South Wales farmers will receive about £1,000,000.

Details of the payments will be incorporated in a Bill to be introduced in the Federal Parliament next week. They are: Wheat 12/6 for each acre planted if the crop failed, with a reduction of 2/1 for each bushel harvested, compensation ceasing where six bushels per acre are obtained. Barley: 10/- an acre, decreasing by 1/8 for each bushel harvested? Oats: 7/- an acre, decreasing by 1/2 for each bushel harvested. Hay: 12/6 an acre, subject to a reduction based on the weight of the crop yielded. With the exception of Tasmania and Queensland, which are experiencing good seasons, /aistralia is experiencing the worst drought on record. Practically all primary production will be far below normal. An official estimate of the New South Wales wheat harvest at 20.000.000 bushels, less 5.000,000 bushels for seed, made a month ago, noiv. appears to have been too optimistic.

MR. CURTIN’S ILLNESS

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, November ,7

The illness of the Prime Minister of Australia (Mr. Curtin) is already producing rumours of his pending resignation, but these are discounted in authoritative Labour circles. dical reports indicate that Mr. Curtin’s indisposition is the result of overstrain, rather than of any specific physical, cause. Never strong. Mr. Curtin has been without a real rest since the strenuous election of 1943. He has suffered many minor illnesses, out has always recuperated quickly, genuine possibility of losing Mr. Curtin’s leadership would be viewed as a disaster by a majority of the Labour caucus. Those closest to the Prime Minister .say that he regards the elections as having imposed upon him the duty of continuing the administration of Australia’s war effort until victory in the Pacific is won. Only a complete breakdown in his health or a conviction that the Commonwealth was no longer willing to support an adequate war effort 'under*his direrction would move Mr Curtin to step down from office. Some weeks of rest are expected to see Mr. Curtin fully restored to health. If he obeys his doctor’s orders he will not be in Canberra for any part of the short Parliamentary session which begins to-morrow week. The session is expected to last only three weeks, and rhe legislation to be introduced is not regarded as contentious. The Opposition leaders are likely to hasten the business of the sittings—unless a further outbreak of industrial unrest provokes the introduction of a censure motion. More likely to cause difficulties is Mr. Curtin’s absence from the prescssional Labour caucus to be held next Monday and Tuesday. The questions to’ be discussed, include banking policy, wage-pegging, and the recent industrial unrest. . Lett wing Labour members complain that the Government has done little to implement the party’s policy and advocate the adoption of a stronger Labour policy line in view of the favourable war position. But any strong move to challenge the Prime Minister, who has consistently placed party politics second to war needs, seems unlikely. Attention has been drawn to the number of “war casualties, among members of the Federal Cabinet. Recent Cabinet absentees because o! illness have included the Minister ol Supplv (Mr. Beasley), the Treasurer (Mr. Chifley). the Attorney-General (Dr.' Evatt),’the Minister of Home Security (Mr. Lazzarini), and the Air Minister (Mr. Drakeford). One suggestion is that Parliamentary undersecretaries or assistant Ministers should be appointed to relieve Ministers of heavy routine duties. I his is also likely to be a subject for caucus discussion.